How To Save Time and Money: Another Case Study from Flexo Wash

At Flexo Wash, we talk with our customers and they tell us what makes the difference in performance and reliability. In the last quarter, we visited with an existing customer and found that replacing anilox rolls has become quite the headache and expense. Downtime on the press was not just from manual plate cleaning.

Anilox Rolls Damage A Common Issue

This wide web printer located in Ohio came to the conclusion that poor handling and dirty anilox rolls had become quite the nuisance. It causes downtime on the press and the manpower needed to keep up manually was just not there.

We investigated further and found out these following facts from our busy customer:

· Approximately 12 anilox rolls are cleaned per day.

· It takes about 15 minutes to clean each anilox roll with the current process.

· There are generally 353 workdays per year that require cleaning and maintenance routines, and the company spends about $2,500/year on cleaning supplies.

· When a press goes down with one dirty anilox roll, about once a week, it is about 60 minutes for each dirty anilox roll cleaning and maintenance routine. In addition, another $100 in ink and substrate is wasted each time for this problem.

· A broken anilox roll runs about $2,000 to repair or replace.

Purchasing an Anilox Roll Cleaner Leads to a Payoff in Real Dollars

The problems are not unusual for a wide web printer running multiple presses, and, at FlexoWash, we understand the real costs to your bottom line, in addition to the loss of employee time and general management headaches. After gathering all the data, our customer realized that an automated process in the form of Flexo Wash anilox cleaning equipment really does make sense (and saves cents regularly on the hour!)

Flexo Wash is the market leader in cleaning technology for the flexographic, gravure, and offset package printing industries. Specialty equipment options exist for all types of customers. For example, with FW 992 XL you can clean two anilox sleeves with a cleaning length of 63 ” (1600 mm).

As the lines on the anilox rolls have become more fine, quality cleaning is needed more than ever. Our anilox cleaning equipment has the following features:

It allows for all ink types.

It recirculates cleaning solution.

It is all stainless steel.

We have a short washing time.

The process is safe and truly user-friendly washing.

There is no wear or tear on rolls.

Our cleaning technology requires minimal maintenance.

“Our mission is to support our customers and eliminate downtime, increasing efficiencies and satisfaction with the work at hand. Even incremental changes can affect the bottom line, and using our anilox cleaning equipment will be more profitable in the long run,” said President Patrick Potter of Flexo Wash.

The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to make necessary purchases to improve productivity and know that the technology you are using is dependable, and will get the job done right the first time, he added.

At Flexo Wash, we recommend you take these steps to a more proactive approach for anilox maintenance:

Clean the rolls after each job.

Keep a regular maintenance schedule on rolls.

Clean the rolls immediately after removal from the press and before storage.

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Flexo Wash is the leading provider of cleaning technology for the flexographic, offset and gravure package printing industries. Reduced downtime, improved quality, and cost savings are part of the eco-friendly solutions that leave parts totally clean and ready for immediate reuse. Flexo Wash systems and processes are astonishingly fast, completely safe for the employees, environment, and harmless to the integrity of the parts being washed.